Plus One

UPDATE: one of the songs has been replaced

Last night, officially, Spring started. Yes, I know, it actually started last friday, the 20th, but last night we moved the clock one hour forward.

From today, days will be longer and nights shorter. Soon enough, they'll be warm and dry. Today it is cold and rainy here in my town, so not going along. But anyway, I wanted to celebrate this event by doing a new album.

Plus One

The photo is at the Beach Library, where I work sometimes.

1. Dragostea din tei (O-zone) - Estanislau Verdet
   
2. Vos estim a tots igual - Antònia Font
   
3. L’autostrada - Daniele Silvestri
   
4. Boots of Spanish Leather (Dylan) - Dervish
5. La llamada - Òscar Briz
6. Mr Rock and Roll - Amy Macdonald
7. Hotel Cervo - Luca Dirisio
8. I’m Yours - Jazon Mraz
9. Je t’aime... moi non plus - Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin
10. Cançó del bes sense port - Miguel Poveda (Maria Mercè Marçal)
    
11. La canzone che scrivo per te - Marelene Kuntz & Skin
12. Corazón - Albert Pla
13. Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones
14. I Kissed a Girl (Katy Perry) - Ivri Lider
    
15. Hansel i Gretel - Joan Miquel Oliver
16. The One - Kylie Minogue

Bonus Tracks

Le tien, le mien - Najwa
Ahora que la mierda ya me llega hasta los ojos - espaldamaceta

Super Bonus Track

Blanc - u_mä

Some of the songs have a reason to be here, others are just because I love them today.
You can find that, once again, there are repetitions of artists in the same album. Pau Vallvé is member and soul of the two formations that start and end the disc: Estanislau Verdet and u_mä. This last band, I saw them live couple of hours before we changed the clock (if you have the chance, it is a must!). The other, I will see very soon.
Also you'll find Joan Miquel Oliver, the letrist (and for me also soul) of Antònia Font. Both, I've seen live, the former much better, I must say.
A lot of Catalan Countries in this album, as even the songs in Spanish are by artists from the Païssos: Òscar Briz (who I have also seen live) is from País Valencià and espaldamaceta (sic) is from Tarragona. Albert Pla isn't singing in Catalan lately, but we all remember his "Papa, jo vull ser torero". Miguel Poveda, who normally sings in Spanish, is from Barcelona and sung that album in Catalan with well known poems by Catalan authors.
Also, lots of Italian, but no real reason, except the sake of it.
And as well, some artists singing in a language they don't normally sing.

As usual, I have placed the artwork that I designed and an html file with the lyrics here. The tracks are here, but will be removed in a week. You all know ways to get the songs, and if you can't find it, let me know, and I'll advise you.

I'm having problems with the web host where I normally have the lyrics, so it is only in the link above. But as soon as I figure it out I will update this, so come back.

Well, enjoy it.
This post will be updated. It has been: thrice.

Nice and warm

Once again, I come here to talk about language. And yes, I am going to talk about Catalan language. And indeed, I am going to talk about Catalan language in English. Why? Because I've the need of writing in English since I don't use the language that often anymore.

Most of you must already know that the Generalitat de Catalunya has launched a new campaign called Encomana el català, which literally means "infect Catalan" or "transmit" or something like that, but it is more like "spread the love of".
Well, many Spaniards have been offended by this campaign (Jiménez Losantos included, of course), and I have had multiple conversations/discussions about it.

I just don't get what people's problem is. It is just obvious. As another blogger said one day: you go to Catalunya, you expect people to speak Catalan. That's it! Well, or at least you do if you have a minimum of culture and know that there is an actual separate language.

Note: this is about language, not about politics.

But let's get to terms with the ad. --- OK, I love it!

It is just so cute!

But wait, let's pay attention to it. What they sing?:

1. [Baker]: Què li puc fer per berenar? -- What can I get you (as an afternoon snack)?
2. [Guy]: Si us plau, voldria un entrepà --Please, I'd like a sandwich.
3. [Guys from behind]: Tingui: ben bo i ben calent -- Here you go: nice and warm.
4. [Baker]: Que vagi de gust, i passi-ho bé! -- Enjoy it and have a nice one!
5. [Assistant]: Li parles en català? -- Do you speak to him in Catalan?
6. [Guy]: És clar! Així el puc practicar -- Of course! This way I can practice it.
7. [Everybody]: A la feina, al carrer, al cafè de l'amic Joan; la primera paraula en català: un "Bon dia", un "Què voldrà?". Encomana el català! -- At work, in the street, at Joan's café; the first word in Catalan: a "God day", a "What could I get you sir/ma'am?". Spread Catalan around!

Let's see what is happening:

1. A guy enters a bakery. He isn't white, but it doesn't matter because in Catalunya there are many adopted children who could already be this age. The baker speaks to him in Catalan, paying no attention to the fact that he could be foreigner. Hey, he is busy baking and maybe has flour in his eyes!
2. The guy speaks back in Catalan and the baker just flips out for this, rolling his eyes.
   
3. Then the other two guys appear from behind offering him the s/w.
   
4. The baker saying goodbye to him at the door (btw, using the "respective" form even though he is half his age.
5. The assistant asks why is he talking to the guy in Catalan when he is obviously not from around. Ok, yes, she is judgemental.
6. The guy answers that this way he can practice it.
7. Then it goes about the main slogan.

So what does this ad mean? Well, for me it is obvious: the main thing is that we could speak first in Catalan. This is, when we don't know a person, don't assume that s/he has not learned Catalan. You'd be astonished how many foreigners speak perfect Catalan.
At work I use Catalan 95% of the time. I speak to everybody in Catalan (remember that my mother tongue is Spanish) whatever the origin they seem to have. The only people who never reply to me in Catalan are the South Americans (well, never no: I met 1 Argentinian who spoke in Catalan, but he is a Linguist and lives in Barcelona). I am not making a distinction between Portuguese and Spanish speaking people, because Brazilians expect me to understand Portuguese with total easiness. After so many years working with people fromn this country, I can say that it is very difficult for me to understand them, unless they are making an effort to speak slowly. But this is not the point.
Almost (99%) everybody from Northern Africa, Europe, Asia and North America reply to me in Catalan. There are few British and German people who have been living in Catalunya for decades and they don't speak the language yet, but they don't speak Spanish either, so forget about them. And what's more, most of the "foreigners" who speak Catalan speak it much better than me -- they've gone to school and learned it, I just happen to know it.

The advert tells us to use Catalan at first just because of that, because we tend to assume that if you don't have a barretina on your head you won't speak our language. You can't imagine how many times I have asked to the person I have next to me: "Do I look Spanish or what? Why is s/he speaking to me in Spanish instead of Catalan?"

The other thing that this campaign tells us, without telling, is that if you are Catalan speaking and you are talking to someone who lives in Catalunya and just chooses not to speak Catalan but understands it correctly, you needn't change your language: you can have bi-lingual conversations. Listen, I've had totally multi-lingual conversations and there is no problem what-so-ever!

This is not telling us at all that we HAVE TO talk in Catalan if we don't want to, but it is telling us that if your language is Catalan, you shouldn't have to change your habits for someone who LIVES here. Obviously, if you are talking to someone who's been living here for three months, you are going to try and make him/her comfortable and speak in his/her language if you do speak it, or Spanish.

So, really, what is the problem with this ad? It is not willing to do any harm at all. Why is people not happy? Why does people feel threatened? It is not like Spanish is going to vanish! In any case, in about 50 to 100 years, Catalan will be long gone (or this is what linguists say). Language is culture and we have to try and keep culture alive. That's all!

The other thing that bothers me is when people talk about "money": 1. This ad wasn't done last week, so most probably was paid for much before we went from recession to crisis. 2. This ad creates money and jobs, therefore, helps the economy. 3. Do you really think that the Generalitat hasn't really thought about the consequences of the ad? If it was to do bad, they wouldn't have done it!

Well, and the last reason why I love the ad is that I fell in love with the guy that comes out from behind the main character, to the left of the screen:

Next week: why did the visit of HRH Princess Anne bothered so much?